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Presentation given at Let's Test 2013, 22 May
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Failing:The Very Human Side of Testing
Simon Morley
@YorkyAbroadhttp://testers-headache.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 22, 13
This is about failure....
My experiences
Some learnings
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Being Wrong (testing)
Anybody ever been wrong?
How did it feel?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
My take
Frustrating - at first
Then - liberating
Wednesday, May 22, 13
But first frustration...
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Communication
Test Strategy Communication
Talking about a less linear approach - and more focus on business needs and information flow.
What could possibly go wrong????
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Moving from...
Wednesday, May 22, 13
To...
Wednesday, May 22, 13
“But surely if we had clear requirements...”
The requirements can’t always be known upfront
Clear is very subjective
And so are requirements
It’s a form of not dealing with the problem - what will satisfy the customer?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Lessons?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Different Audiences
Familiarity
Adoption
Refusal / Not prepared
Wednesday, May 22, 13
“But surely if we had clear requirements...”
Wednesday, May 22, 13
And there’s more....
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Thinking & Models
Attention to details - too focused
Problems with notetaking
Questions / Not getting started quickly enough
Getting stuck in a rut
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Attention to details - too focused
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Browsing or client?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Causes
Focus
Excited
TunnelVision
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Lessons
Pair-up
Remind yourself:Is it time to switch between
focus-defocus now?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Note TakingI filed a bug report - and missed out a configuration element (parameter setting) that turned out to be decisive.
Kneejerk reaction: Take more notes!
Or: Take better notes... How?
Practice observation & Notetaking
Smith: How to be an explorer of the world
Wednesday, May 22, 13
And more...
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Not starting / Too many questions...
How? When?By when?
Who? Who more can I talk to?
What do you mean by test?
Anything more?
Anything more?
Configuration?
Data?
Architecture?
Team?
Priority?
Risks?
Known problems?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Reaction?
Suspicion
Frustration
Impatience
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Lessons?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Start with context-free questions
Can I ask some questions?
Is now a good time for questions?
Ref: Exploring Requirements: Quality Before Design (Gause, Weinberg)
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Sitting with a problem for too long...
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Result?
Dis-appointment
Delay
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Causes
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Lessons?
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Balance
Celebrateyour
ignorance
Wednesday, May 22, 13
LessonsFail “well”
“The chief trick to making good mistakes is not to hide them - especially not from yourself. Instead of turning away in denial when you make a mistake, you should become a connoisseur of your own mistakes, turning them over in your mind as if they were works of art, which in a way they are.”
Dennet: Intuition Pumps and other Tools for Thinking
Wednesday, May 22, 13
More Lessons
Celebrate your own failures
They are a case study opportunity
Ask trusted colleagues for signs
Fear of failure = Fear of learning
Creativity is bound up with failure
Wednesday, May 22, 13
More lessonsKnow your audience
Synch with them
Context-free questions to start with
Remember to focus & de-focus
Take a step back
Explain the problem to someone new
Learning is a heuristic activity - implies trial and error
Wednesday, May 22, 13
References
Thinking, Fast and Slow (Kahneman)
Exploring Requirements: Quality before Design (Gauss, Weinberg)
How to Be an Explorer of the World (Smith)
Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking (Dennet)
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Questions & Comments
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Image creditshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/34120957@N04/4199675334
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/8252655811
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairyfeet/30860040/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedevelopmentofbirmingham/4160702095/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mknott/130350679/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/1342355056/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewpescod/1355751357/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stolensnapshot/3611391087/sizes/m/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilmoralee/6872205942/
Wednesday, May 22, 13
Image creditshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/flex/26197327/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/safetyfreak/498421785/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdconnell/5209509848/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billsophoto/5243121852/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zyphichore/95961996/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aquilaonline/2055376852/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rvoegtli/7662328952/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsyweber/3307988944/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cainnmosni/3065256470/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66720528@N04/8476511518/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/3718891/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/8484917890/
Wednesday, May 22, 13